Fatigue crack propagation and fracture characteristics of in-situ titanium-matrix composites

In this paper, the fracture and fatigue crack growth behavior of in-situ titanium-matrix composites reinforced with whiskers of titanium boride, are discussed. The influence of boron additions on the cyclic fatigue crack growth behavior of several titanium-base alloys is elucidated. The improved crack growth resistance of certain compositions is explained by considering the effects of crack–microstructure interactions and the limited effects of crack-tip shielding due to ligament bridging.